THE FLATS – Each year, the Georgia Tech women’s basketball program recognizes a new Women Out Front class of influential leaders who have had a positive impact on the Georgia Tech or Atlanta Community. The class of 2018, featured at the Jan. 28 Georgia Tech women’s basketball game, honored seven local, influential women within their career industry.
The class is invited each year to a selected women’s basketball game, honored during a pregame reception with past honorees and on court recognition at halftime. They are provided a facilities tour and certificate.
Below are the recipients and a brief bio on the impact they have had on the community:
Maryam Alavi
Dr. Maryam Alavi is the Dean of Scheller College of Business and Professor of IT management at Georgia Institute of Technology. She has advised and taught executives on topics of IT and digital strategies and transformation in organizations including IBM, KIA Motors, Lockheed Martin, Marriott, Sodexo, Southern Company, the American College of Physicians, and the World Bank. Dr. Alavi was selected as the 2017 Woman of the Year for mid-size and education institutions by the Women in Technology Foundation of Georgia.
Dana Barrett
Dana Barrett is an award winning TV & radio personality and a regular contributor to Forbes and HLN. She is the host of The Dana Barrett Show on 1190 AM WAFS and former host of Atlanta Tech Edge on 11 Alive, Atlanta’s NBC affiliate. She is active in the community as a speaker and emcee for business, technology and non-profit events and is the official spokesperson for TurningPoint Breast Cancer Rehabilitation. She is known as an advocate for women and for small business owners.
La’Kerri Jackson
La’Kerri Jackson, a native of Atlanta, Ga., manages the global diversity and inclusion portfolio for UPS and its 176 Business Resource Groups throughout the U.S., Americas, Asia, Europe, Middle East and Africa. She recently served on the board for a local non-profit organization, the Global Village Project, an all-girl school that equips recently arrived refugee girls with the academic and social knowledge needed for success in a high school or equivalency program. She is devoted to ensuring the organizational culture is inclusive for all and that people from diverse backgrounds and walks of life have access to the essential opportunities and resources to become future leaders.
Kristine Jordan
Kristy Jordan is a Director with Jabian Consulting, leading the Jabian Women’s Affinity Group which volunteers in the Atlanta community. Kristy’s other Atlanta involvement includes hands-on activities such as building houses with Habitat for Humanity, renovating schools through Hands on Atlanta, working in the Product Rescue Center at Atlanta Community Food Bank, painting artwork for the Foundation of Hospital Art for Youth program, and hosting blood drives for the American Red Cross.
Lauren Koontz
Lauren Koontz is the Executive Vice President and the Chief Development Officer for the YMCA of Metro Atlanta (the YMCA). The YMCA is one of the largest in the nation, with an annual budget of over $100,000,000. As Executive Vice President, she is responsible for four membership or youth development branches, the Y’s early learning programs, day and resident camps throughout the association, teen leadership programs, marketing and communications strategies, and the YMCA’s fundraising efforts including annual and capital campaigns, endowed and planned gifts, and community and fundraising events.
Kristi Miller-North
While on The Flats, Kristi Miller-North was a six-time NCAA all-American (four-time singles, two-time doubles) at Georgia Tech. She played number one singles and doubles for Tech’s 2007 NCAA National Championship team. Additionally she was an academic all-American and at-large academic all-American of the year. She is now a corporate attorney at Baker & Hostetler LLP in Atlanta, Ga.
Mary Parker
In the kitchen of her home in 2001, Mary Parker founded ALL-N-One Security with only one employee, herself. Today, ALL-N-One employs a staff of nearly 600 individuals. Under her leadership, this firm has blossomed into a multi-million dollar enterprise specializing in security technology, security personnel and traffic control. Her company is a nationally certified African-American, full-service, female owned security firm with offices in Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Africa.
